I ordered my Sport Trac about 6 1/2 weeks ago and the dealer called yesterday to say it had arrived. I picked it up today and drove it 120 miles home and I have to say, it is a great vehicle.
The standard 15" steel wheels that I got were much sharper than I expected. The color Oxford White looks great with the black and silver trim. I kept looking back at the vehicle as I walked away from it. My neighbors slowed down to check it out too. It's an attention getter.
I found the rear view mirrow low originally, but I was able to adjust the back pivot so that the top of the mirror is only 1 1/2" below the ceiling.
I got the captain's chairs and they were very comfortable. I didn't notice that they were too high.
My biggest complaint is with the center "console" utility bag. You have to go through layers of velcro just to put something in it. I really miss a regular console with a flip up lid. Hopefully an aftermarket company will come out with a console that will fit that space. The bag sucks.
My other complaint is the not being able to open the back window part way as you can with a regular power window. I have no clue why Ford built it so you have to have it all the way open, all the way closed or with a little 2" vent opening.
But other than that, I love how it rides and how it handles. Even the vinyl flooring looked better than I expected a vinyl floor to look. And the dark graphite color that my seats came in looked awesome.
Thanks to all for the valuable Sport Trac data along the way.
I have a big dog, too. I examed the back seat at the dealer and felt the space was adequate. That was one reason I bought it. I always travel with my dog. Also, the back power window venting down several inches is a good feature.
To Zack1000 .....Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you can open the rear window to any amount of opening you want to by turning the knob left or right. Pressing in on the button does the auto-down. My ST is still on order, so I can't confirm.
Greetings All I just ordered a 4x4 Sport trac with the following Specs. Base Invoice 22768 Convenience Grp 638 Cargo cage 166 skid plates 106 Reg Advert 190 Destination 550 TOTAL INVOICE 24369 Dealer Profit 500 Final Sale Price 24869
Now, this is in upstate New York, if it matters, but the dealer I got this price with was originally asking 900 over invoice, more if I wanted their only one in stock. Other dealers were asking around 1200 over for in stock and around 700-900 for an order. Whenever you call or go, ask to speak with the Sales Manager, it saves a lot of hassle. After he was offering me 900 over he was trying to get me to sign saying that was such great deal, well after a few calls the next day, I found a Sales Manager who said he would go at 500 over invoice. I told the original guy that and they immediately met it. I went with him because of a $50 referral to a family and that he didn't mess with me too much and let me borrow his spec papers out of his binder and gave me the invoice prices without any bickering (they were out of booklets). Don't be fooled by them trying to say that market availability is driving the price up. Their making 'em now and can be ordered exactly like you want it. One lady was trying to tell me that it would be 14 weeks to arrival, but I find that hard to believe. (at least three dealers tried to insist that they would not go below $1000 over invoice)
The only thing left is to see if they will let me add fog lamps with out buying that whole sport group I don't need.
The rear window WILL open any amount. If you push the button it Vents 2". If you push it again it will express down.
If you twist and release, it will express down or express up depending on direction of twist. If you twist and hold it will stop when you let go. If it dosn't stop just give it a twist in the opposite direction to cancel the express movement.
I hated the bag too, so I brought the leather interior to get a standard console. The standard console is not bad.
Here's what the owner's manual says about opening the rear window:
"The power down back window has three position selections and cannot be positioned in any other position:
-Fully open
-Vent
-Fully closed"
This is how I've found my window operates. If I twist the knob back in the opposite direction while the window is in motion it does not stop, the window just reverses direction.
fordsporttrac---If your window does allow you to stop at any position than consider yourself lucky because that's apparently not what Ford intended.
I live in New Jersey. Have never lived where there is snow before. Do you feel someone must have 4X4 here? Anyone know of a good dealership in the Northern NJ area?? What dealership did you deal with in upstate NY? I am willing to drive!
Just a whine...I may not be able to get the great financing I thought I would..do to some "forgotten" things on my credit report...FORGOT all about 'em. May wait...any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated right now. Nothing negative please...Dad already gave me "the speech"...: )P.S. Am I the only one who reads this site daily..after I check my E-mail?;)~
I began reading the town hall notes two days before I ordered my Sport Trac. The notes were insightful, so I thought about sharing my purchasing experience. First, my wife and I ordered it for 1% over invoice plus $100 on 29 Mar 00. My wife and I have been shopping extensively to find the best deal. She thought 3% over invoice was the very best deal, but my diligence paid off! Ford has a college graduate rebate program and I getting an additional $400 rebate from Ford. As it turns out, I’m getting the vehicle for about $40 less than invoice. I had to order it this week to lock in a low interest rate and avoid the higher one for April. We order a white 4x2 loaded, except the Tonneau cover. Since we are moving in Jun and we did not want to risk a delay in building the vehicle. Options ordered: Leather Com Grp, CD changer, Convenience Grp, Moon Roof, Prem Sport Grp, cargo cage—total price 24,906 - 400(ford rebate) = 24506.
This is my very first post on Edmunds. My wife and I have been Chrysler minivan owners for 10 years now. We are considering replacing our 95 Plymouth Voyager with a Sport Trac. We are very impressed with the Sport Trac.
We're concerned about giving up the enclosed cargo space in our minivan. We might miss all that interior space.
Have any of you replaced your minivan with a Sport Trac? If so, do you miss the floor-to-ceiling, enclosed cargo space from your old minivan?
ceiba4 Well, the reason I got the 4x4 is because of frequent trips to the country to visit mom in the lake snow belts and going into the woods to get firewood, plus the regualr Rochester to Buffalo snow and ice problems. There were two dealerships that were offering me 500 over invoice. One was Brockport Ford (20 minutes west of Rochester) and the other was Rochester Auto Collection in Brighton (Rochester). Keep in mind that the Brockport guy originally wanted 900 over but I spoke with a Sales MANAGER at the Auto Collection and he told me over the phone 500 over is no problem. I went back to Brockport so my G-ma would get 50$ referral. If you stick to managers, and play them against one another it seems to help out.
You are eligible to take advantage of this offer if, between May 1, 1998 and January 3, 2001, you:
graduated or will graduate from an accredited college or graduate school with at least a bachelor degree, or graduated or will graduate from an accredited junior college, community college, nursing school or trade school, or are currently enrolled in an accredited graduate school.
After months of research about this suv and reading the comments I'm looking forward to my arrival soon. I did have a question I'm hoping somebody knows the correct answer. As a former owner of an 92 Explorer which I sold my self $4,500 more than the dealer would give me as in trade. It was a standard trans 5 speed. Looking forward to the 5 speed auto trans in my new sporty. One question is though is the ratio of the speeds in the auto trans from 1st to 5th. If anybody knows please post. Thanks
Once you have negotiated your best deal, you can present the information and verification (transcript). I received a promotional coupon in the mail--I graduated from a master's program last year. Sometimes you can benefit from junk mail. Ford issues the rebate not the dealer. You can have it applied to the cost of the vehicle or receive a check from Ford to you. I talked with a ford representative last week about this program. The rep told me that 2001 vehicles did not qualify, but my coupon states that it is good for any 1999-2001 vehicle. The coupon is title 2000 College Graduate Purchase Program. It is the same program outlined on the Ford wedsite.
You peaked my curiosity and I read my owners manual carefully. It says exactly what you stated. So I sat in the truck and played with the window. After a more careful examination of how the window reacted I found it didn't do what I said and it didn't do what you and the manual said.
Humm, so off to the dealer I go. They agreed it was not working correctly. If you refer to one of my posts from 2 weeks ago you will see a reference to the salesman putting the temporary tag on the rear window. NJ temporary tags have 2 long adhesive strips on them. I had immediately removed the temp tag but the glue was still on the window. Guess where the window was stopping when I reversed it?
After scrubbing the sticky stuff off, the window now functions exactly as you stated. Vent, Full Up, Full Down. No stopping in-between. :-(
I'm not sure, but I don't think they are. Usually heated side mirrors are activated when you use your rear window defrost. Since there's no rear window defroster and no button to heat the outside mirrors and I doubt that they are on all the time, I assume they aren't heated.
Thanks for ratios on 5 speed automatic. I ordered a 4:10 rear. I'm wondering if it was a bad move in view of current gas prices. I do a little traveling to California a couple times a year but mostly city driving. What is your RPM at 65 to 70 mph with the 3:73 compared to the 4:10 rear end. Thanks for input dave
The rear climate control can point at the rear windows if you need defrosting. Not as good as the built in wires, but the window is vertical so it shouldn't pick up as much snow/ice.
i wonder why ford left off the built-in wires in the rear window? cost cutting? even though the window is vertical and won't pick up much snow or ice, humid days, or sweaty soccer kids in the back seat will surely steam up that window. a little disappointing, especially if you don't get the rear climate controls that come with the leather upgrade.
I don't think that a rear window that is able to move up and down would be able to have a defroster wire hookup, think about it, how would the wires connect??? And besides pickup trucks don't have rear window defrosters anyway, if it fogs up just put it down and then back up.
Can someone tell me if the 4 wheel drive on the Sport Trac can be used on dry pavement - that is it selectable full time 4 wheel drive. I still have not seen one in Alaska. In addition, is the rear bed large enough to take a mountain bike without its front wheel on?
I am an employee a company that purchases fleet vehicles from Ford. We have a special discount program that is offered to all employees, I wanted to know if anyone out there has gotten a better deal????
According to the plan... They quoted me $27,000 for a loaded 4x4 model with all optional groups: Convenience, sport & leather, with single CD, cage for the gate, and moonroof...
Is that good or can I go deeper?
I love to haggle, I love to sell (previous employment) but I just don't know what's negotiable in autoland... The last car I bought was an '88 Mustang GT convertible... I didn't care what it cost I had to have it.... Boy did I pay!
A mountain bike without the front wheel would easily fit into the bed. I left the wheel on my bike and put it in the bed at a slight angle and it fit quite nicely. The bed is 4' long with the tailgate up.
I purchased on Ford's x-plan and paid 24k for 2WD and everything except the leather. I got tried of the clod seats in the winter. So, add the 2500 for 4WD and 500 for the difference between the Cloth and the Leather. 27k is still below Dealer Invoice. I havn't heard of any dealers willing to haggle on the Sport Trac below invoice.
The Sport Trac has a full time 4x4 switch. It goes from 4x2 to 4x4 high then 4x4 low. The 4x4 once activated is kept in 4 wheel drive. I had an Explorer that had the auto 4x4 that sensed slipping and turned on the 4x4, but I think I like the security of knowing my cars in 4-wheel drive when switched there. Hope this isn't too confusing and answered your question.
My old 4Runner had a roll down window in the tailgate with an electric defroster. I never had any trouble with it. I curious why I've never noticed a pickup truck with electric defrost though.
What I mean! If it could be done for the power cargo window in the 4runner then why not for the Sport trac? Okay,so no rear defrost or heated outside mirrors....ten what about lighted vanity mirrors for both driver and passenger? For some reason I think I know what the answer is already!
You didn't mention the Limited Slip, Skid Plates, Block Heater or Tonneau Cover so I left those out. Since you said all packages, I assume that includes the Payload Package #2. (BTW, IMHO this makes the ST ride more like a truck.)
Your Vehicle configured as above MSRPs for $29,310 The Dealer Invoice is $26,202. Add Destination of $550, Forced Advertising (Mine was $205), Fuel Surcharge (Mine was $24.50) makes a dealer invoice of $26,981. If they are offering you 27,000 "including" all the above charges then (IMHO) its a GREAT DEAL TAKE IT.
BUT, If they are going to add Destination, Advertising, Fuel, etc. onto the $27,000 they're not doing you any favors. Especially if you have to order it. They are already making 879.30 on dealer hold back plus they would be charging you another $775 over invoice.
If it is on the lot "I" would consider buying it at the $775 over invoice, but I do not have access to fleet pricing like you, which I assume, should be better than what I can get. I paid $750(%2.11) over invoice for mine and drove it off the lot that day. If your have to order it at that price IMHO walk away!
Edmund's recommends you pay no more than 3% over invoice. 3% of your invoice is $786. $775 is 2.96% over invoice.
I put an excel spread sheet that anyone can use on-line or download. You must have Microsoft Office to use it on-line or Excel if you want to download it.
This is a great site and really offered some great tips. I wanted to pass along a couple of things I learned in the process ... some of which I have not seen here previously. Did anyone notice that this Explorer no longer has a cassette deck? Not that many folks use it anymore but was surprised that it's not even an option. Also, this has a 5,000 plus towing capability but no I-class hitch and the spot on the bumper for the ball says no more than 3,500 pounds if I remember correctly .. odd that it does not offer a trailer towing package. My dealer in St. Louis was very courteous but also very straightforward that this vehicle is HOT and they see little need to bargain. While I did not witness personally, I heard Ford used the red version to carry the baseball Cardinals onto the field for opening day ... and that there was quite the crowd around afterwards and they were all snapped up on the spot with dealer reps. Bottom line ... I ordered a 4x2 with everything on it except moon roof and paid about $250 over "invoice." The FDAF and fuel charges were non-negotiable. Good luck to everyone else out there.
Another good tip on here is to not order the hard cover ... it's expensive and not very practical. I am sure that some after market manufacturer will come out with a great shell to match the Sport Trac bed ... and it will also be more versatile.
I looked for months for a luxury truck. The ST is as good as it gets.... so far. This is the beginning for this style (I call the style an SUV-Truck) but I expect if this style becomes popular you will see more standard options as competition increases. Right now there isn't any completion with the ST.
The 2000 Dodge (1st Available on the market) has NOTHING. No leather, no electric rear window, no captains chairs ect..
The 2000 Nissan also has Less then Nothing in luxury. Heck even the roof rack and floor mats are optional. No leather available unless you count the steering wheel. There is a passenger vanity mirror but Edmunds doesn't say if it is lighted or not. Couldn't find info on Edmunds for the 2001 model (not avail till late Summer) but the Nissan site says it will have leather as an option. Every thing else about the 2001 is vague.
The Chevrolet Avalanche.... Well their WEB site has some nice prototype pictures but no details pricing, options, ect.
From there you move out of the SUV-Truck category into the full truck category. Like the new F150 super crew series. But these are all trucks. They drive like trucks come with V8's and get truck gas mileage. Not really the family hybrid.
So IMHO there is nothing, that I know of, that can compete with the ST until the 2001 Nissan is available. I feel Ford did an excellent job in the first release. The lack of a rear window defroster, heated mirrors or lighted vanity can't be noted against Ford, so far, none of the competition has them either.
If there any model that I didn't know of please update me.
For those of you questioning why the ST does not have 2 lighted mirrors to put your makeup on, or defrosters in the rear view mirrors, perhaps you are missing what the ST is all about. Ford already sells vehicles for that market, its the regular Explorer or the Navigator. If you want frills, why not get the heated and COOLED seats in the Navigator? For me, the fewer buttons the better.
The fact is the ST is a grand slam home run and hits the bullseye of the target market.
so ford hasn't got it together yet. does anyone know of an aftermarket manufacturer who has a cover for the sport trac? maybe even in colors to match the body paint, instead of black? thanks.
I will be placing my order next week for the ST. I am sure that I will choose the Harvest Gold Metallic exterior color and will be going for the Leather package. I saw posts that the Harvest Gold with Medium Tan leather was nice, but how about the Harvest Gold with Grey Leather. Does anyone own or seen this combination? I also wonder if you can order Grey Leather with the Harvest Gold?
my understanding is that you can order any interior color with any exterior color. i saw the grey fabric interior in the harvest gold exterior and it is a fantastic combination.
I was just curious about the lighted vanity mirrors,but a vehicle in this price range should have mandatory heated outside windows or a rear defroster.Also I wouldn't consider heated mirrors and a rear defroster a frill.....illuminated vanity mirrors,YES but safety features(rear defroster,heated mirrors) NO!
I am sitting here in far Northern California..just waiting to see and touch one I have never bought a car sight unseen and don't know that I wish to. SOOOO if any of you live around here and happen to drive through Yreka..NOT Eureka..I will buy you a cup of Java if you stop here for a few minutes...how's that for a deal?...: )The dealer here in town did give me an acceptable price under 27,000...but...gotta touch it first!
I'm trying to compare the ST with other vehicles in its class and price range but I cannot find any with heated rear view mirrors. What vehicle are you comparing the ST to.
Or, are you indicating that all vehicles in this price/model range should have those features. So far I checked Edmunds on the,
Toyota Tundra (Nope), Nissan Frontier (Nope), Ford F-150 Super Crew (Nope)
I did find heated RVM's on several other vehicles like Chevrolet Blazer which has them as an option However the base price on all the vehicles I found "so far", is +2K or more than the ST and most of those you still have to add it as an option. They seem to become standard on vehicles with a base price near 30K.
I do feel you hit the mark on one safety point. IMHO, you have to depend on your outside mirrors as your primary and your inside mirror as a backup. So ford should have offered heated outside rear view mirrors "OR" rear window defrost. This would allow one view to be maintained at all times.
Probably see one available on the 2002 models. :-)
On pricing ... according to the dealer generated invoice sheet ... the base model 4x2 increased $95 to $22,595 and the shipping went up to $575. All other options remain the same.
Comments
Thanks in advance very much...
Zderf
The standard 15" steel wheels that I got were much sharper than I expected. The color Oxford White looks great with the black and silver trim. I kept looking back at the vehicle as I walked away from it. My neighbors slowed down to check it out too. It's an attention getter.
I found the rear view mirrow low originally, but I was able to adjust the back pivot so that the top of the mirror is only 1 1/2" below the ceiling.
I got the captain's chairs and they were very comfortable. I didn't notice that they were too high.
My biggest complaint is with the center "console" utility bag. You have to go through layers of velcro just to put something in it. I really miss a regular console with a flip up lid. Hopefully an aftermarket company will come out with a console that will fit that space. The bag sucks.
My other complaint is the not being able to open the back window part way as you can with a regular power window. I have no clue why Ford built it so you have to have it all the way open, all the way closed or with a little 2" vent opening.
But other than that, I love how it rides and how it handles. Even the vinyl flooring looked better than I expected a vinyl floor to look. And the dark graphite color that my seats came in looked awesome.
Thanks to all for the valuable Sport Trac data along the way.
I just ordered a 4x4 Sport trac with the following Specs.
Base Invoice 22768
Convenience Grp 638
Cargo cage 166
skid plates 106
Reg Advert 190
Destination 550
TOTAL INVOICE 24369
Dealer Profit 500
Final Sale Price 24869
Now, this is in upstate New York, if it matters, but the dealer I got this price with was originally asking 900 over invoice, more if I wanted their only one in stock. Other dealers were asking around 1200 over for in stock and around 700-900 for an order. Whenever you call or go, ask to speak with the Sales Manager, it saves a lot of hassle.
After he was offering me 900 over he was trying to get me to sign saying that was such great deal, well after a few calls the next day, I found a Sales Manager who said he would go at 500 over invoice. I told the original guy that and they immediately met it. I went with him because of a $50 referral to a family and that he didn't mess with me too much and let me borrow his spec papers out of his binder and gave me the invoice prices without any bickering (they were out of booklets). Don't be fooled by them trying to say that market availability is driving the price up. Their making 'em now and can be ordered exactly like you want it. One lady was trying to tell me that it would be 14 weeks to arrival, but I find that hard to believe. (at least three dealers tried to insist that they would not go below $1000 over invoice)
The only thing left is to see if they will let me add fog lamps with out buying that whole sport group I don't need.
If you twist and release, it will express down or express up depending on direction of twist. If you twist and hold it will stop when you let go. If it dosn't stop just give it a twist in the opposite direction to cancel the express movement.
I hated the bag too, so I brought the leather interior to get a standard console. The standard console is not bad.
Have fun with the new truck.
"The power down back window has three position selections and cannot be positioned in any other position:
-Fully open
-Vent
-Fully closed"
This is how I've found my window operates. If I twist the knob back in the opposite direction while the window is in motion it does not stop, the window just reverses direction.
fordsporttrac---If your window does allow you to stop at any position than consider yourself lucky because that's apparently not what Ford intended.
I live in New Jersey. Have never lived where there is snow before. Do you feel someone must have 4X4 here?
Anyone know of a good dealership in the Northern NJ area?? What dealership did you deal with in upstate NY? I am willing to drive!
I began reading the town hall notes two days before I ordered my Sport Trac. The notes were insightful, so I thought about sharing my purchasing experience. First, my wife and I ordered it for 1% over invoice plus $100 on 29 Mar 00. My wife and I have been shopping extensively to find the best deal. She thought 3% over invoice was the very best deal, but my diligence paid off! Ford has a college graduate rebate program and I getting an additional $400 rebate from Ford. As it turns out, I’m getting the vehicle for about $40 less than invoice. I had to order it this week to lock in a low interest rate and avoid the higher one for April. We order a white 4x2 loaded, except the Tonneau cover. Since we are moving in Jun and we did not want to risk a delay in building the vehicle. Options ordered: Leather Com Grp, CD changer, Convenience Grp, Moon Roof, Prem Sport Grp, cargo cage—total price 24,906 - 400(ford rebate) = 24506.
Happy Shopping!
My wife and I have been Chrysler minivan owners for 10 years now. We are considering replacing our 95 Plymouth Voyager with a Sport Trac. We are very impressed with the Sport Trac.
We're concerned about giving up the enclosed cargo space in our minivan. We might miss all that interior space.
Have any of you replaced your minivan with a Sport Trac? If so, do you miss the floor-to-ceiling, enclosed cargo space from your old minivan?
Thanks!
-Steve
Well, the reason I got the 4x4 is because of frequent trips to the country to visit mom in the lake snow belts and going into the woods to get firewood, plus the regualr Rochester to Buffalo snow and ice problems.
There were two dealerships that were offering me 500 over invoice. One was Brockport Ford (20 minutes west of Rochester) and the other was Rochester Auto Collection in Brighton (Rochester). Keep in mind that the Brockport guy originally wanted 900 over but I spoke with a Sales MANAGER at the Auto Collection and he told me over the phone 500 over is no problem. I went back to Brockport so my G-ma would get 50$ referral. If you stick to managers, and play them against one another it seems to help out.
Whats this about that College Grad Rebate. Is that from ford itself, just the dealer or something else. Please, tell me more.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/collegegrad/flashmenu.html
You are eligible to take advantage of this offer if, between May 1, 1998 and January 3, 2001, you:
graduated or will graduate from an accredited college or graduate school with at least a bachelor degree, or graduated or will graduate from an accredited junior college, community college, nursing school or trade school, or are currently enrolled in an accredited graduate school.
Thanks
Once you have negotiated your best deal, you can present the information and verification (transcript). I received a promotional coupon in the mail--I graduated from a master's program last year. Sometimes you can benefit from junk mail. Ford issues the rebate not the dealer. You can have it applied to the cost of the vehicle or receive a check from Ford to you. I talked with a ford representative last week about this program. The rep told me that 2001 vehicles did not qualify, but my coupon states that it is good for any 1999-2001 vehicle. The coupon is title 2000 College Graduate Purchase Program. It is the same program outlined on the Ford wedsite.
Thansk though
Gear Ratio
1st 2.47
2nd 1.85
3rd 1.47
4th 1.00
5th 0.75
Rev 2.10
Final 3.73(4.10 optional)
Jim M
You peaked my curiosity and I read my owners manual carefully. It says exactly what you stated. So I sat in the truck and played with the window. After a more careful examination of how the window reacted I found it didn't do what I said and it didn't do what you and the manual said.
Humm, so off to the dealer I go. They agreed it was not working correctly. If you refer to one of my posts from 2 weeks ago you will see a reference to the salesman putting the temporary tag on the rear window. NJ temporary tags have 2 long adhesive strips on them. I had immediately removed the temp tag but the glue was still on the window. Guess where the window was stopping when I reversed it?
After scrubbing the sticky stuff off, the window now functions exactly as you stated. Vent, Full Up, Full Down. No stopping in-between. :-(
Sorry for the misleading post.
Thanks for input
dave
According to the plan... They quoted me $27,000 for a loaded 4x4 model with all optional groups: Convenience, sport & leather, with single CD, cage for the gate, and moonroof...
Is that good or can I go deeper?
I love to haggle, I love to sell (previous employment) but I just don't know what's negotiable in autoland... The last car I bought was an '88 Mustang GT convertible... I didn't care what it cost I had to have it.... Boy did I pay!
My old 4Runner had a roll down window in the tailgate with an electric defroster. I never had any trouble with it. I curious why I've never noticed a pickup truck with electric defrost though.
You didn't mention the Limited Slip, Skid Plates, Block Heater or Tonneau Cover so I left those out. Since you said all packages, I assume that includes the Payload Package #2. (BTW, IMHO this makes the ST ride more like a truck.)
Your Vehicle configured as above MSRPs for $29,310 The Dealer Invoice is $26,202. Add Destination of $550, Forced Advertising (Mine was $205), Fuel Surcharge (Mine was $24.50) makes a dealer invoice of $26,981. If they are offering you 27,000 "including" all the above charges then (IMHO) its a GREAT DEAL TAKE IT.
BUT,
If they are going to add Destination, Advertising, Fuel, etc. onto the $27,000 they're not doing you any favors. Especially if you have to order it. They are already making 879.30 on dealer hold back plus they would be charging you another $775 over invoice.
If it is on the lot "I" would consider buying it at the $775 over invoice, but I do not have access to fleet pricing like you, which I assume, should be better than what I can get. I paid $750(%2.11) over invoice for mine and drove it off the lot that day. If your have to order it at that price IMHO walk away!
Edmund's recommends you pay no more than 3% over invoice. 3% of your invoice is $786. $775 is 2.96% over invoice.
If you want to do the math for your self goto
http://www.thejetty.com/cars
I put an excel spread sheet that anyone can use on-line or download. You must have Microsoft Office to use it on-line or Excel if you want to download it.
Just To clarify my statement above;
"If your have to order it at that price IMHO
walk away!"
"that price" means $27,000 +Destination, +Advertising, +Fuel.
Did anyone notice that this Explorer no longer has a cassette deck? Not that many folks use it anymore but was surprised that it's not even an option. Also, this has a 5,000 plus towing capability but no I-class hitch and the spot on the bumper for the ball says no more than 3,500 pounds if I remember correctly .. odd that it does not offer a trailer towing package.
My dealer in St. Louis was very courteous but also very straightforward that this vehicle is HOT and they see little need to bargain. While I did not witness personally, I heard Ford used the red version to carry the baseball Cardinals onto the field for opening day ... and that there was quite the crowd around afterwards and they were all snapped up on the spot with dealer reps.
Bottom line ... I ordered a 4x2 with everything on it except moon roof and paid about $250 over "invoice." The FDAF and fuel charges were non-negotiable. Good luck to everyone else out there.
(This is completely "In My Honest Opinion" IMHO)
I looked for months for a luxury truck. The ST is
as good as it gets.... so far. This is the
beginning for this style (I call the style an
SUV-Truck) but I expect if this style becomes
popular you will see more standard options as
competition increases. Right now there isn't any
completion with the ST.
The 2000 Dodge (1st Available on the market) has
NOTHING. No leather, no electric rear window, no
captains chairs ect..
The 2000 Nissan also has Less then Nothing in
luxury. Heck even the roof rack and floor mats are
optional. No leather available unless you count the steering wheel. There is a passenger vanity
mirror but Edmunds doesn't say if it is lighted or
not. Couldn't find info on Edmunds for the 2001
model (not avail till late Summer) but the Nissan
site says it will have leather as an option. Every thing else about the 2001 is vague.
The Chevrolet Avalanche.... Well their WEB site
has some nice prototype pictures but no details
pricing, options, ect.
From there you move out of the SUV-Truck category
into the full truck category. Like the new F150
super crew series. But these are all trucks. They drive like trucks come with V8's and get truck gas mileage. Not really the family hybrid.
So IMHO there is nothing, that I know of, that can
compete with the ST until the 2001 Nissan is
available. I feel Ford did an excellent job in the first release. The lack of a rear window
defroster, heated mirrors or lighted vanity can't
be noted against Ford, so far, none of the
competition has them either.
If there any model that I didn't know of please update me.
The fact is the ST is a grand slam home run and hits the bullseye of the target market.
adebisi1,
I'm trying to compare the ST with other vehicles in its class and price range but I cannot find any
with heated rear view mirrors. What vehicle are
you comparing the ST to.
Or, are you indicating that all vehicles in this
price/model range should have those features. So
far I checked Edmunds on the,
Toyota Tundra (Nope),
Nissan Frontier (Nope),
Ford F-150 Super Crew (Nope)
I did find heated RVM's on several other vehicles
like Chevrolet Blazer which has them as an option
However the base price on all the vehicles I found
"so far", is +2K or more than the ST and most of
those you still have to add it as an option. They
seem to become standard on vehicles with a base
price near 30K.
I do feel you hit the mark on one safety point.
IMHO, you have to depend on your outside mirrors as your primary and your inside mirror as a backup. So ford should have offered heated outside rear view mirrors "OR" rear window defrost. This would allow one view to be maintained at all times.
Probably see one available on the 2002 models. :-)